Why African Feminism is necessary

Does Chandra Mohanty think that there is a need for African feminism?

Summary (OPINION)

Chandra T. Mohanty.

Mohanty begins by describing the ‘third world’ and feminism in Africa and the South of Asia. She continues to mention that colonization is the reason for everything since it helped with characterising it all. Mohanty is targeting the African or other women of colour and comparing them with the western women through scholarship and knowledge. She is arguing against the idea that there are western and non-western people. African feminists have been labelled with the ideal woman as “…weak, powerless and emotional”. Although Mohanty believes that the women of colour have always considered white women or western women as privileged.

All women are in a patriarchal society whether they are western or African. According to Mohanty “I shall argue, no universal patriarchal framework…but a particular world balance of power…with analysis of culture, ideology and socio-economic conditions.” So, she is arguing that there is a patriarchal society everywhere despite where you are.

Mohanty mentions principles that are present in the third world. How women are a group that has certain interests and identification outside of their homes. Western women, unlike African women, are considered to have control over their own bodies and they are considered to be modern, educated and can “have control over their sexuality”. Western women also have a choice to exercise their rights which may include freedom of expression. African women are careful as they are labelled to be uneducated, irrational, traditional and family orientated. Considering how people receive information in the third world.

Although there are differences in feminism as a whole there are some similarities. Third world women are “weak” therefore there are high chances of them being victims of violence and the colonial process. They have been considered to be nothing, without a title or a subject status. In some of the African countries, women are not allowed to be political party leaders, while in other countries they are seen as powerless and might only be of good use when it comes to reproduction, while others are forced or volunteer into mutilating their genitals. Third world women are not the same as western women they are given an opportunity to be part of society.

African feminism has grown and changed a little as the cultural and traditional rules ease as years go by. They give a very powerful and bold argument as to the experiences of what other women are still going through in other third world countries. Although all human beings are entitled to basic human rights Mohanty shows a side of feminism that is not all about asking for maternity leave in corporate jobs but somethings that women go through every day which makes them struggle to find their own identity away from that society.

Western women are considered to be very religious, cultural and third world women are fighting to change the idea as to how people see them because time has evolved and so has some religions or cultural practices by changing the idea of not having a voice of its own.

Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. “‘Under Western Eyes’ Revisited: Feminist Solidarity through Anticapitalist Struggles.” <i>Signs</i>, vol. 28, no. 2, 2003, pp. 499–535. <i>JSTOR</i>, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/342914. Accessed 13 Sept. 2021.